You barely need to go back one year to find a prime reason why the Phillies’ first-round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft is one to follow, even if their positioning at No. 27 in the draft order isn’t particularly sexy.
That reason is Aidan Miller, whom Philadelphia selected at No. 27 in last year’s draft and has since catapulted into second on our Phillies prospect ranking and — coincidentally — No. 27 on MLB Pipeline’s top 100.
That doesn’t mean this selection will be as much of a home run. It merely goes to show that even though they’re not picking in the top 10, the first round on Sunday could hold plenty of weight for the Phillies. Here’s how some experts see it going for them.
Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline: Tommy White, 3B, LSU
Mayo points out that the Phillies have taken high schoolers in the first round four straight seasons — but the availability of White, who hit 27, 24 and 24 homers in his three seasons at LSU (none of which consisted of more than 66 games) would make it hard to keep that up. He’s tied for the eighth-most homers in NCAA DI history, and he did it in three years. He had a 1.123 OPS in college. “Tommy Tanks” is a well-deserved nickname.
Gabe Lacques of USA Today: Caleb Lomavita, C, Cal
MLB Pipeline gives Lomavita scouting grades from 50 to 55 all across the board, though notes he has some tweaks to make to his defensive game. He hit 15 homers with a .981 OPS his last season at Cal and batted .323 across two seasons in the Cap Cod League.
Kiley McDaniel of ESPN: Vance Honeycutt, CF, North Carolina
Honeycutt isn’t known for his contact (he hit over .300 just once in college and strikes out a lot), but as with Lomavita and especially White, the power is there: 28 homers in 62 games last year. He also stole 28 bags and has a 70 defensive grade from MLB Pipeline.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report: Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City High School (OK)
Reuter has the Phillies sticking with their high school trend, taking a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder from Oklahoma. He tops out at 97 mph, sitting 92-95, and throws a plus changeup. He is 19 years and 5 months old, which is on the older side for a high school prospect.
